FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Members, With the completion of this year's State Championship Interclub and Newcastle Port Stephens Shootout Tournament, I would like to thank all Sydney boats that ventured North to represent Sydney Game Fishing Club. In this year Shootout, Sydneys remarkable effort resulted in three boats securing positions in the top ten of the Tag & Release section, New member boat Headnoise took 6th place , Greyhound is in 5th place & Sammy-Jay in 4th place. An impressive Yellowfin (weighed in at 76kg) but not counted in the tournament was caught by Mia Wright. I commend the display of sportsmanship and competition by our three teams during the Interclub event. Despite patchy fishing and hazardous weather conditions, Team 2, led by Smartbill, Tenacious, and FV2, narrowly missed the top spot, falling short by just one fish to the local team from Newcastle/Port Stephens and it came down to the last minute. Sydney Team 3 also demonstrated remarkable prowess, finishing in 5th position, showcasing their unwavering determination and skill. Special congratulations are due to Sam and his crew aboard Smartbill for clinching the Champion Boat Tag & Release title, and to Byrom for earning the prestigious title of Champion Angler in the Tag & Release category (Seb must of been asleep) As we shift our focus back to local waters, I encourage all members to mark their calendars for the upcoming events. We have three final rounds of the Central Zone. Broken Bay 16th & 17th March, followed by the highly anticipated Peter Goadby Memorial Tournament on April 13th & 14th, and concluding with the Port Hacking 100 on April 27th & 28th. It's worth noting that Sydney currently leads in the Central Zone Tag & Release section. I urge all Sydney boat owners to show their support by participating in our upcoming tournaments, particularly the Peter Goadby Memorial Tournament on April 13th & 14th. Your presence and participation will undoubtedly contribute to the success of these events and further enhance the reputation of our esteemed club. Thank you for your continued dedication and support. President Glenn Wright
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Calendar of Events SGFC March 2024 16th - 17th Summer Pointscore 15th - 17th Broken Bay Invitational Tournament BBGFC + Central Zone Weekend 26th - Committee Meeting April 2024 2nd - Club Meeting 6th - 7th Summer Pointscore 13th - 14th Peter Goadby Tournament SGFC + Central Zone Weekend 20th - 21st Summer Pointscore 27th - 28th Port Hacking 100 PHGFC + Central Zone Weekend 27th - 28th Summer Pointscore 30th - Committee Meeting May 2024 4th - 5th Summer Pointscore last day of Summer Pointscore 6th - Start of Winter Pointscore 7th - Club Meeting 28th Committee Meeting Tuna Slam June, July, August 2024
2024 Interclub State Championships Fishing Report
The 2024 Interclub State Championships unfolded over three days of intense competition, as teams of three boats representing clubs from New South Wales converged upon Port Stephens to fight it out on the water. The festivities commenced with the Lyndy Grieves Memorial Ladies Day; a cherished tradition held on the Thursday preceding the tournament. Under glorious weather conditions, female anglers came together from various regions, including a notable participant, Lily Sims who journeyed from Cairns to test her skills in the waters of New South Wales. Lily's impressive 160kg Blue Marlin on 24kg line, secured her the title of Heaviest Marlin for the day. Among the participants, Real Housewife Krissy Marsh and her daughter Milana made a memorable appearance aboard FV2, with Krissy tagging her first Marlin and Milana engaging in an epic battle over three hours which unfortunately pulled the hooks. Additionally, Renee Liddall fishing onboard Newcastle Port Stephens boat Katana tagged her first Marlin, making it great to see all the ladies out there enjoying the day.
Day 1 of the Interclub commenced with the traditional sail pass and shotgun start, setting the stage for a thrilling competition. Despite favourable sea conditions, the fishing proved to be challenging, with patchy reports throughout the day. By day's end, Sydney Teams 2 and 3 emerged at the forefront of the scoreboard, showcasing their prowess in the face of adversity.
Smartbill day 1 capture Dolphin fish 16.80kg
Day 2 saw the weather exerting its influence, with forecasted strong winds of 25 Knots posing a formidable challenge to participants. While the morning seemed promising, escalating winds prompted many boats to return to shore by mid-morning. Nevertheless, notable efforts from Smartbill contributed valuable points to his respective team.
As the final day dawned with favourable weather conditions, anticipation reached its peak as competitors ventured out to make their last stand. With previous days yielding limited catches, the championship hung in the balance, awaiting a decisive conclusion. Smartbill emerged as a dominant force, executing a remarkable final day performance with the tagging of five Marlin, setting the stage for an exhilarating conclusion. While the definitive results await confirmation at the upcoming NSWGFA AGM in July, provisional point scores provide insight into the standout performances of the event. Smartbill clinched the title of Champion Boat Tag & Release, with Byrom Von Bonde earning accolades as Champion Angler and securing the most Marlin by an individual. FV2 distinguished itself by tagging the most Sharks, with Nicco Marsh recognized as the angler with the most Shark tags. Sydney Team 2 emerged as the runner-up with an impressive point tally, followed by Team 3 in fifth position. In addition to the accolades in tag and release, Smartbill also made waves in the capture category, with a Dolphin fish on Day 1, earning them the Heaviest OGF prize and the Sydney Calcutta.
Acknowledgment is extended to all participants, with notable performances from boats Sammy-Jay, FV2, and Greyhound. The Calcutta results witnessed a resounding triumph for Byrom Von Bonde, who orchestrated a clean sweep in both tag and release and capture sections. Well done to all participants for their outstanding efforts in the 2024 Interclub State Championships, highlighting Sydney Game Fishing Clubs great camaraderie and sportsmanship! Tightlines, Karen Wright
Smartbill backing down on a Black Marlin Byrom on leader
FV2 Tagging Black Marlin
Shortbill Sphere fish Tantrum
Sammy-Jay Dolphin Fish
Sammy-Jay Tagging Black Marlin
Shootout Tournament hosted by the Newcastle Port Stephens Game Fishing Club. With 148 boats entered in the competition, 
it was a fantastic weekend. Sydney boats did very well in this years Shootout with 3 of our boats finishing in the top 10. Sammi-Jay finished 4th Greyhound 5th and new club boat Headnoise 6th an outstanding effort Congratulations to our newest junior member Billy Anderson who won champion junior angler on board Headnoise. With $50,000 up for grabs for the heaviest marlin, this attracted alot of interest from the Blue Marlin fisherman , But just like the history books read the heaviest marlin in the first marlin tournament back in1938 was won by a woman Jess Sams. The Shootout prize for the heaviest marlin $50,000 also goes to a female Angler Haley Bonnici from Broken BayGFC with her fantastic catch of a 197kg Blue Marlin on 15kg line It was a three hour fight, that tested all the crew on board Zorro more known for their tag & release achievements and it also must be mentioned that Zorro finished in the top ten tag & release section Another notable catch but not counted in the tournament was a massive 76kg Yellowfin by Mia Wright onboard Tantrum. Congratulations to our newest junior member Billy Anderson who won champion junior angler on board Headnoise.
HEADNOISE about to tag a Marlin
Take a look at the future of game fishing Port Stephens with @chrisbowenmp intent on the Hunter Offshore Wind Zone being operational by 2030. The entire area will be an exclusion zone. This map will show the impact the wind farms will have on our fishing at Port Stephen in the Future. The blue grid outlines the no go zone for all vessels. The red colour inside the highlighted no go zone is were the marlin were tag & release during this years Shootout tournament . Its a mater of urgency that all members write to there local politicians and voice your concerns over this issue. If we don't speak up it will be lost forever.
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ADVERTISE WITH US Tight Lines ads are a great way to get your message out to your fellow members For more information please Email our club secretary Annita Flannery on secretary@sgfc.com.au
It is important to know how old fish are to ensure that there are plenty of big old breeders in the fishery. Unfortunately, marlin don’t carry drivers licenses or any other form of ID, or do they? Otoliths are the earbones of a fish, and, much like tree trunks, have growths rings on them which we can use to age fish. This happens due to annual/seasonal fluctuations in the ocean leading to different layers being deposited. By counting these “annuli†we can learn how old a fish is. Unfortunately marlin are one of the hardest species to age. Pelagic fish have some of the smallest otoliths of all fish and marlin have large, hard/bony heads. This means that cutting through big marlin heads to find the tiny otoliths is a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. To overcome this difficulty, other studies have looked into other “calcified†(bony) on marlin and tested whether they also have growth rings AND whether these growth rings match up to what we see on otoliths. Luckily, these studies found that some fin spines, which are quite easy to remove, also have growth rings on them. Studies even found that these growth rings match up almost perfectly to otoliths, though for some older fish, fin spines can start to hollow out and become a bit harder to read. When doing an ageing study on marlin, it is generally good practice get otoliths and fin spines from a couple of the fish you are ageing just to make sure they match up well, but, it generally means that we can age marlin using fin spines rather than the much harder to collect (especially at busy and crowded fishing tournaments) otoliths. Hopefully, over the coming years, we’ll be conducting ageing of blue marlin using these exact methods so that we can fill key knowledge gaps around how old blue marlin get. Stay tuned for results to come.
How to tell the age of a marlin Tristan Guillemin
SAINTLY WHISPERS
What does the pope eat during lent? Holy mackerel! How do fish go into business? They start on a small scale! What is the richest fish in the world? A goldfish. What do you call a small fish magician? A magic carpet. Why can’t you tell a joke while ice fishing? Because it’ll crack you up A fisherman returned to shore with a giant marlin that was bigger and heavier than him. On the way to the cleaning shed, he ran into a second fisherman who had a stringer with a dozen baby minnows.
The second fisherman looked at the marlin, turned to the first fisherman, and said, “Only caught one, eh?†Where do football players go shopping in the offseason? The tackle shop. What is the difference between a fish and a piano? You can’t tuna fish. Which fish can perform operations? A sturgeon! If fish lived on land, in which country would they live? Finland. What do you call a fish with a car? A carfish! What swims in the sea, carries a machine gun, and makes you an offer you can’t refuse? The codfather. A man was fishing in the jungle. After a while, another angler came to join him.“Have you had any bites?†asked the second man. “Yes, lots,†replied the first one. “But they were all mosquitoes.†Retired colonel, talking of the good old days: “Have you ever hunted bear?â€His grandson’s teacher: “No, but I’ve been fishing in shorts.†While sports fishing off the Florida coast, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft. Spotting an old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted, “Are there any gators around here?!â€.
“Naw,†the man hollered back, “they ain’t been around for years!†Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming leisurely toward the shore. About halfway there he asked the guy, “How’d you get rid of the gators?†
“We didn’t do nothin’,†the beachcomber said. “The sharks got ’em.â€
The little kid sat on the side of the road with a fishing line down the drain.Feeling sorry for him, and wanting to humor him, a lady gave him 50 cents, and kindly asked “How many have you caught?†“You’re the 10th this morning,†the kid said. What kind of musical instrument can you use for fishing? The cast-a-net. What’s the difference between an angler and a dunce? One baits his hooks while the other hates his books. Fisherman: “What are you fishing for sonny? â€Boy: “I’m not fishing, I’m drowning worms.†What do you call a fish that won’t shut up? A big-mouthed bass! Why did the Vegan go fishing? Just for the halibut. Three fishermen were fishing when they came upon a mermaid. The mermaid offered them one wish each. 
The first fisherman said, “Double my I.Q.â€So, the mermaid did it and to his surprise, he started reciting Shakespeare. 
Then the second fisherman said, “Triple my I.Q.†And sure enough, the mermaid did it and amazingly he started doing math problems he didn’t know existed. 
The third fisherman was so impressed he asked the mermaid to quadruple his I.Q. and the mermaid said, “Are you sure about this? It will change your whole life!†The fisherman said “Yesâ€. So, the mermaid turned him into a woman. Why is it so easy to weigh fish? Because they have their own scales! Where does a fisherman go to get his hair cut? The bobber shop. What is the fastest fish in the water? Motopike. What you get when four men go fishing and one comes back not catching anything? Three men and a baby. Why did the husband go fishing on Valentine’s Day? To catch his wife a bouquet of flounders! What kind of music should you listen to while fishing? Something catchy! Why didn’t Noah do much fishing on the ark?He had only two worms.
Love the SAINT